Due to frequent requests from our customers, we decided to make a quick reference thread to help guide customer's on their Long Tube Header selection.

Where do I start?

Selecting the right set of long tube headers can be a daunting task with so many brand options and so many variances in price. If you stick with ARH (American Racing Headers), Stainless Works, Kooks, Borla and Stainless Power (listed from most expensive to least expensive) you simply can’t go wrong. All the above produce roughly the same gains and meet the highest criteria of the industry.

What to look for?

Stainless Steel grade, specifically 304 SS, is the most common Quality material used. Stay away from an inferior Stainless Steel such as 403 SS. Stainless Steel in the 300 series will not rust or discolor. The cheaper 403 SS will discolor easily and rust quickly in wet/humid climates. Highly recommend buying protection coating / ceramic coating if going with cheaper headers, however at that point you may as well pay the same for the quality headers. Cheaper brands tend to push coatings, but coating offer little to no reductions in under hood temperatures and do weigh slightly more. Coatings are good for protecting inferior quality steel and for aesthetic purposes. Note: If the manufacturer does not say “304 SS” it is most likely made of inferior steel.

CNC Mandrel Bent pipes should be a minimum when considering what headers or exhaust to purchase. This process allows the best unrestricted airflow, superior fitment and allows for thinner tubes for weight saving benefits. Mandrel Bent is quickly becoming a standard in the industry for most headers, however if they do not advertise Mandrel Bent that is a red flag.

Last but not least, country of origin. More attention to detail is paid by the manufacturers in the USA. American Racing Headers for example is hand ported and has a scavenger spike where the primaries merge. Cleaner craftsmanship such as clean tig welds. If you are looking for the greatest performance, a quality header like American Racing Headers or Stainless Works are solid options. If you are looking for the biggest bang for the buck, Stainless Power will get the job done.

What Primary Diameter Should I Choose?

The Header Primaries are available from most manufacturers in three sizes listed below. The 1-3/4’’ headers are too restrictive for the 6.2L. The most common size is 1-7/8’’ headers since they are sufficiently free flowing. We however recommend 2’’ headers for the 6.2L as they offer the same benefits of the 1-7/8’’ but are typically only $45 more and offer greatest potential by complimenting additional mods very well. Obviously stock dynos do vary, but below are some typical gains compared to stock.

Once you have settled on the brand of headers and the size of Primaries, the next task is to decide on the Mid-Pipes with High Flow Cats or Mid-Pipes with no cats (Off Road Pipes). High Flow Cats are not like the Cats of our father’s generation, they are extremely free flowing and flow nearly identical to a straight pipe. The performance hindrance is only 1-2 rwhp at mid range RPM levels, if that. Frankly the two biggest drawbacks from choosing no cats are the strong exhaust fume smell and the hassle of trying to pass emissions testing and inspection. The only time we may recommend going without Cats is for a car used primarily on the track.

Which Mid-Pipes?

Now that you have decided on Mid-Pipes with or without Cats, you will need to decide if you you want Connection Pipes (connects to your factory or aftermarket Cat-Back) or X-Pipe (connects to your factory or aftermarket Axle-Back) The shorter Connection Pipes will be cheaper, but the greatest performance will be seen with the X-Pipe and preferably to the tips. Note: Some form of Connection Pipes are essential to install.

Sooooo I am going to go against all that spend the $$ blah blah blah. I paid under $400 for my headers and connection pipes. Clear image headers in 304 stainless steel. I made 366/388 with headers, cai, and tune.

Edit: I like your guide/article though! Chalked full of facts that can't be argued with.

Can't argue with 1-7/8'' ARH Headers We have found it to be a common misconception that 2'' is too large. Absolutely no downside to going with 2'' Primaries. If your going with an Intake and Tune, 1-7/8'' is plenty. However if you want to continue on and to a Cam or SS we highly recommend the 2'' especially since 2'' Primaries in most cases are only an extra $45.

Very debatable....but what does Chevrolet run on the COPO? Oh ya...ARH!

Overpaying is a question of funds, NOT if said product is the best. GM put Pirelli's, flimsy control arms, extremely soft bushings, and extremely soft paint/clearcoat. Does that mean they are the best? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

ARH headers are fantastic headers but they are at the very highend of pricing, just like Kooks, and Dynatech.

Overpaying is a question of funds, NOT if said product is the best. GM put Pirelli's, flimsy control arms, extremely soft bushings, and extremely soft paint/clearcoat. Does that mean they are the best? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

ARH headers are fantastic headers but they are at the very highend of pricing, just like Kooks, and Dynatech.

Valid point, but that just speaks more to the point of why GM went with ARH instead of designing their own.

After GM's research and development, the ARH headers would likely be half the price of their own in-house headers with similar performance.